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1924_03_30 GOOD HABITS. THE SENSIBLE HEART


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GOOD HABITS

THE SENSIBLE HEART

 

 

24th lecture given by the Master to the Youth Occult Class

 

30th March, 1924, Sofia

 

 

The God of love is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living

 

 

Reflection

 

Five essays on “The possibilities of the soul” were read.

 

 

I would like to ask you the following question: What is the most important thing under the present living conditions? What is the most significant, essential thing? You can discuss this issue among yourselves. I would like to shed some light on the matter. I have dealt with your mind so far and I have witnessed your mental progress. From now on I would like to deal with your sensible heart – not the human heart in general, but the sensible heart. This Sensible heart is the core of all human activity. Each desire that springs from the human soul acquires a certain value.

 

Under the present conditions all of you reveal individuality and independence, which find expression in focusing on the Ego. If the surrounding world, i.e. the people around you, are not in harmony with you, you get annoyed. Each of you can easily take offence at trivia. Moreover, each of you goes to the extreme to think that the whole world should run according to your reckoning. This is how thing are arranged in your small world, but this is also how all other people think. However, this leads to conflicts among people. They need to rub shoulders for a long time until the rough edges get smooth. Two people who fight can later make friends. There is an aspect in man that I call the Sensible heart: One is aware that people around him have the same rights as he. If you win a right for them, you will win a right for yourself, too. Imagine there were a piano in front of you. This piano would be of some worth while all the keys were in some ratio, so that the tones could help one another. If a tone said, “I’ve made a decision to sound a tone or two lower today”, what would happen? Tomorrow another tone would say, “I am of a special opinion today. I’ll sound a tone or two higher.” Would this piano be of any value? – No, it would not. Then we should call for a tuner to set the keys until, finally, the piano is in good working order. If not, we would have to buy a new piano.

 

This is what the human mind does under the present conditions. It is a trader, but trade does not arrange life. Do you think that if people thought highly of you, they would make you better? You will say, “We will have to contradict the claims that we need to think positively of people.” Well, but if you focus on a wolf, thinking that it is good enough not to strangle sheep, will the wolf become better? – No, it is a wolf, and a wolf will be wolf, it cannot betray its nature. Temporarily, it might change for the better out of fear, but fear is not morality. Morality means the cultivation of the Sensible heart.

 

Therefore, morality is the fruit of the Sensible heart. It has been cultivated through experience. The heart has inferred certain rules, applied them and now we refer to them as natural human practices. For instance, a man says, “I believe neither in good, nor in God.” However, this man has a good habit that has remained from his past, which guides him to behave properly. This man could say, “This bloke is a bad man. I’ll smash his head”, but the next moment he sees the same man drowning and he plunges into the water to rescue him. Why? – He does not know. But he has good habits acquired through his Sensible heart. I say: this man has some incorrect philosophy, a misconception, but he acts properly without thinking. On the other hand, somebody is speaking about God, and that people need to make a sacrifice, etc.; so you say, ”This is a great guy!” But the moment some thugs assault you, our man will be the first to take to his heels. Is he a moral person? – No, he isn’t. He has abandoned you. Or, if he sees that someone is drowning, he will start searching for a rope or someone able to swim. However, while he is searching for help, the other man will drown. Such a person does not have a reasonable habit – he thinks correctly, but he does not act correctly.

 

You need to watch carefully what habits are imparted in your heart. Check through it to see whether you have any reasonable habits. For instance, you are all students here. Let us say that a sister approaches a brother to tell him something, but he dismisses it out of hand. This is a bad habit. Why has he held the sister in high esteem up to now, but the moment she comes up to him he ignores her? – This is an unreasonable habit. You are supposed to treat the sister kindly and listen to her benevolently when she comes up to you. If she has done something wrong, you are expected to tell her in a straightforward way, yet tactfully, that she is at fault, ”I think that you are wrong here. This is what I think, but I believe that you will learn through your mistake, so it will be of some use for you in future.” This will be the sensible deed of your heart. What will the point of your gathering in a class be unless you can challenge your noble features? You are not required to do the impossible. You only have to summon up all your noble habits and give them room to grow freely and properly just like a farmer does. There will be counteractions that might lead to you losing your presence of mind, but you will correct yourselves right away – this is where your strength lies. You might say, "I cannot elevate myself.” No, you can do it.

 

So, you should try to provoke the sensible beginning. Gentle manners are the best you can introduce at school. This will stimulate your sensible growth, because unreasonable deeds hinder the human mind. One can be very talented at first, but get hindered in his development by unreasonable deeds later. They are like small worms that make their way into the roots, eat them away, so the tree withers. Therefore, you should control all your bad habits – not all of them at once, but one by one. You should pick a bad habit with your tweezers – you might preserve it in alcohol or in a flask, but you should observe its manifestations. Study both your good and bad habits to see when and how they reveal.

 

Naturally, if you were cordial in your relationships and well organised, if you were a well-tuned piano, the author of the Divine world would play very beautifully. But now you are arranged, set and tuned like the cords of a piano and each of you gives a definite tone. If you obey the Divine law, you will become a Divine tone, and all the other keys will work towards your elevation. This is what I refer to as the Sensibility of the heart. When one of you is dejected, do not comfort him palliatively, but try to go deeper into his soul to understand the reason for his sufferings. It would be nice if you managed to put yourselves in somebody’s shoes and without talking to him, helped him and relieved him. There are cases when if you talked to someone, he might take offence. There are people who if spoken to, become worse, while if we remain silent, they can take comfort.

 

Now good habits are required of you. No morality can exist without them. One should control his fear, be dauntless and unwavering. Imagine you travelled through the forest and on seeing a small snake, you took to your heels. It does not come towards you and yet you decide to run. The moment you start running, the snake runs after you. No, one should not fear anything. You will have to stop, take a reasonable position and call your sensible heart. It says that there is sensibility in this world and that good deeds are sensible, while bad deeds are beyond the laws of Nature. All sensible deeds are in accordance with the natural laws. There is a Russian proverb, which illustrates the case: ”There is order in chaos.” But this proverb does not refer to you yet. If you set your life on the grounds of this proverb, and see order in chaos, then it will be a great philosophy. First you should study the philosophy of order in Nature, and after finishing this course, you can study the philosophy about order in chaos. This second philosophy is for great people of genius.

 

At this stage of Life, you are going to study the sensible manifestations of the human heart in its everyday life. No matter whether you are a student, a servant, or a clerk, you have to act in accordance with your Sensible heart. On seeing that someone is drowning, your heart should respond – you needn’t pity him, but find a way to help by pulling the person out of the water. Yet you should help in such a way as to avoid drowning yourselves. One who obeys the sensible deeds of the heart never makes mistakes. That is a law. Each sensible action is a Divine moment for man. This rule might have its exceptions, but they will be one in a million. So far I haven’t found a single exception. I assume there might be some, but I do believe that in the manifestations of the Divine, the Sensible heart makes no exceptions.

 

I shall give you an example proving that the Sensible heart can work any way. I got up one morning and went to the beach near the vineyards round Varna. The sea was agitated and I was watching it. At a point I saw a man undress and dive into the sea. At first I thought that he could swim, but shortly I heard him cry for help. I concentrated and connected with him. Entering his mind I told him, “Deep in your Sensible heart you know how to swim!” He collected presence of mind and the fear disappeared. Soon he emerged on the surface and swam to the shore. I told him then, “Go now, and do not ever again enter the sea when it is rough.” If I had rushed to seek help, he would have drowned. It is difficult though to relate to this law. If when helping someone you are anxious or uncertain, you will be in a mess. Helping is a habit. You can always help. If you help, you will preserve your presence of mind. It is not only I who can help; you can help too. When I am providing help, my mind is not involved. One’s strength can be found beyond him. The Sensible heart makes things easier and lighter; it can expand their volume.

 

So, you should work towards building up good habits. I do not mean that you should study some new morality. You simply have to apply what you have – your morality is inherent. Now you falter, because you want to cultivate new habits. Actually, you have some very good habits. You only need to reveal them. For example, you all have the habit of showing your firm will. What do we mean by strong will? When we say “a man of strong will” we mean someone who is stubborn and determined to accomplish his goals. Yes, when one has the physical strength, he can do anything physical. One who is endowed with a strong mind can do anything in the Mental world, though it does not necessarily mean strong will. By strong will, according to the Divine law, we understand that man can retain all the results achieved through good deeds not for a while but forever so that they can become his own flesh and blood. Any sensible deed becomes a brick in his edifice. Therefore, any sensible deed is an element of the common human Life.

 

Most of you feel indisposed and nervous only because you do not call forth any manifestations of your Sensible heart. When it calls, you say, “Do not listen to your heart, listen to your mind!” No, one should listen to his heart first and then to the mind. For instance, you might be interested in the weather on Monday, so you will start reasoning, and by reasoning for quite a long time, you decide what the weather will be like. You take notes so that when Monday comes, you can check whether you were right. Monday, however, comes, and it turns out that you were wrong – it is raining. Or you might say, “It will be sunny on Monday”, but there is no sun. Then the Sophist will come and say, “Yes but it is sunny somewhere else.” Of course, the Sun shines somewhere, but it is not a philosophy. I am asking you here, in Sofia, whether the weather will be good from dawn till dusk and you say that it will be nice, but when the day comes, the weather is not nice. If you ask your Sensible heart if the weather on Monday will be nice and forget about this, putting yourselves in the position of that philosopher who believed only his eyes, you will get an accurate answer. Let the light fall freely on your eyes and its psychic reflection will occur. If on Monday the weather is fine, and you let yourselves to [A1] this pleasant passive flow of your thought, you will feel a pleasant sensation in the pit of your stomach and no hesitation – this shows that the weather will be nice. But if you feel some slight twitch, the weather will be bad – nothing more. You can try this once, twice, three times or more. You can make a number of other experiments. If you meet a person, you can ask yourselves, “Can I get on well with this man?” If you ask your Sensible heart and it frets, the heart suggests to you that the person has bad habits and you will not be able to live well with him. Not that the man is so bad, but he simply does not call forth his good habits. In another case the heart might tell you, “You can live well with this man” and you will feel some pleasant sensation. Whatever the Sensible heart tells you is true.

 

While studying these cases, you might be wary of possible hazardous effects. The fear shows that the individual has not managed to call forth his good habits. That’s why we should try to become like the reasonable man who, when given some rope, asks, “Is this rope tough enough?” This is where you should apply your reasoning. He will be told, “Yes, it is. It is a very good piece of rope.” I have the common sense to say, “Well, let me try it.” I tie the rope to a stake and ask a friend, “Let’s pull it tightly to see whether it is strong enough.” We start pulling it but it does not tear. We ask someone to join us, yet another, etc. Five, six and more people rally our forces, but the rope does not tear – so it is tough enough. I can use it to send anybody down the well and it will not snap. However, if the rope tears when tested, I will not let anybody go down the well – this is what the trials show. In this respect, we should use our mind for the things we can try out. For the things that can be tested we will need our Sensible heart. Whatever evidence the Sensible heart gives us should be taken for granted. If the Sensible heart tells us, “You need some self-restraint,” you will have to restrain yourselves. You should do whatever it tells you without much thinking – the results will always be good. If you falter, if the Sensible heart tells you to do something and you fail to fulfil it, you will feel that you have made a mistake.

 

So, you should try to call forth your good habits – this will distinguish you both from the inner and the outer world. Only the good habits of your heart will ensure you a decent life, because the conditions of your present life are rather tough. Even animals, which obey the law of their Sensible heart, can live better than humans. Now I would like to tell you that unless you prepare your good habits, the knowledge you are getting now will not be applied properly. You will be pretty much like the rich man’s son who after coming in for [A2] his father’s money, used it for wicked purposes both for himself and for those around him, because he had no moral principles.

 

The Sensible beginning should be revealed in all of you. You all have good habits. The only thing you need to do is to show them. David says, “I thought in my heart.” That’s why under the present conditions in Life, the reasonable forces of Nature heal people through sufferings. They isolate man so that he can go deeper into his heart, turn to Good, which has been part of his nature for thousands of years, and start applying the good habits of his growth. This is the only way for you to become independent, free and capable of keeping your presence of mind. The storms outside could touch you and toss you like a ship, but the waves will never break into your inner self – your ship will reach the shore safely. However, if you do not anchor your faith on the good habits you have, many hardships and impediments will befall you.

 

I find it necessary to talk about these things because I have seen many students who without having attended an Occult School are able to apply their good habits, while you, though students of the Occult, are not using your good habits. You might think that being students of the Occult, you would be guided into using your good habits by some other force. No, these habits are part of you and you will have to develop them by yourselves. It is the task of each individual to build up his inner wealth. As far as your mistakes are concerned, your temper, your bad disposition, or your bad thoughts, these are inherent of all people – there is not a single person in this world that has not experienced these. When you read David’s psalms, you will see how a prophet complains of having become a laughing stock, of being attacked by the evil spirits – from the outside and the inside. But he had something important – he always trusted his good habits that helped him in all his struggles to reach the other shore.

 

That’s why when trials come, you should not lose your presence of mind. If you cannot apply a good habit in times of difficulties, will there be a better time to show it? If you do not help me when I need it, are you going to help me when I get rich? Will I need you then? Do you think that then you will strike up a friendship with me? – No. A friendship formed at a time of welfare, lasts for a day and a half. A friendship struck up in times of hardship lasts forever. If you rescue a drowning man he will be grateful to you till the end of his life. If you help someone standing on the shore but thinking of suicide, he will also be grateful. These are the good habits, and here is where your wealth will show. You can philosophise as much as you want, but it will be of no use to you. You have to seek for those in need and offer them your timely help.

 

You can be good workers, brave and determined, because the knowledge you get here is enough in comparison with modern knowledge. The outer world when compared to your knowledge is ignorant and yet in some other respect these people show great courage. The people from the outside world are braver, more determined, while the Disciples of the Occult sometimes say, “We will step back.” If you make a compromise led by your good habits, I will agree with you. Yet if you concede because of some materialistic considerations, you will be the lowest creatures in this world. You say, “I don’t want to fall out, so I will give in.” You should say to such a person who loses ground, “You are not right to do this. Please, do not give in!” But if it were for a noble cause, even if ten people opposed him, you should say, “I’ll stand by you.” Support your friend – that is a good habit. This is what was understood by chivalry in the Middle Ages. Being chivalrous means to keep to a moral code and to be led by your good habits for the sake of those round you. In this way you will think highly of yourselves.

 

Many of you are not self-confident. When put through a trial, you start hesitating. Some ask me whether they will pass or fail. I say: you will be put to the rope, then we will pull it and test you. If ten people pull you and you withstand, if your rope does not snap, you will endure the hardships, too. But if only I pull the rope and it snaps, I say: you cannot endure. The matter is different though – if you have the will, you will withstand.

 

Some time ago the newspapers wrote about me saying that each truth is half-truth and each lie is half lie. What did I mean? – The law is as follows: At a point I have the chance to tell both the truth and the lie – the chances are equal. I master the situation; it depends on me what to say. It does not mean that if I have told the truth it is not true. One can tell a lie and camouflage it as truth and vice versa – then the lie is practical. Very often doctors encapsulate the bitter pill in a sweet shell and when the patient tastes it he says, “How sweet!” but later the bitter taste prevails. The pill is sweet in the outside and bitter from the inside. Such is the law: a person has the chance to tell the truth or refute it. At some point one can do good or evil – these are just possibilities. Consequently, human strength lies in the possibility to opt for the Truth or for Good. It means that God has given you a law, according to which you can act – you have the truth and the lie at one and the same time. If you subdue the lie to Truth, you are very powerful. If you subdue evil to Good, you are very powerful. If you subdue injustice to Justice you are very powerful. If you subdue stupidity to Wisdom, you are very powerful. If you subdue hatred to Love, you are very powerful. The opposite is also possible – anybody can become a ball of fortune. If one subdues Truth to lie, Justice to injustice, Good to evil, he can be nothing but a withered leaf. This leaf will move to and fro. You cannot say that such was your destiny. In this case God has put you through a trial saying, “It depends on you. Now I am going to test you.” You have as many opportunities for Good as for evil – you are the master, so you can do as you wish.

 

So, summon up your sensible habits and apply the great law of spiritual matter without a flinch – only in this way can you expect excellent results. Mind that if you start hesitating or reckoning, your mind will get involved. When hesitation is over, your Sensible heart will take over saying, “Go ahead!” – But I am being chased by my adversaries! – “Never mind!” the heart tells you, “Keep going!” – “But I may be killed!” – “Ahead!” Only the mind is philosophising. But if you keep going ahead, those who are after you will run away, because they will say, “This is such a brave man! We are afraid of him!” Even if you come across a bear in the forest, keep going and it will run away. If you get scared, the bear will pass by you and spit at you, “You are not a divine human creature! You are a cowardly cow!” Why don’t you reveal your good habits? When you tell a lie people will spit at you just like the bear will, because you have failed to use a good habit. Anything that you confront should be questioned. You should ask yourselves how to react and then show courage. Go ahead and you will avoid danger! Do not think of the consequences. If you act in accordance with the law, the whole Reasonable Nature will be with you, as well as all the Reasonable creatures – they will blaze the trail for you. If you reveal your good habits, the way will be open for you; if you falter, the reverse forces in Nature will appear, and you already know what the consequences will be.

 

Now, you should summon up your good habits. For the future I want from you to show your noble manners. Nobleness is required from all of you: your face, your manners, your behaviour – nobleness should be seen in everything. Whoever sees you should exclaim, “These are people who serve a noble cause, people with lofty ideas!” All of you can be such people. Am I clear? – (Yes). Is there anything you cannot understand? There is always something that remains unclear, yet you should know that you have the basic elements in Life. They are necessary. One who wants to become a musician should have the basic elements; one who wants to become a doctor, a writer, or whatever, should have the basic elements. I am not speaking about any particular elements but about common basic elements of Life that are necessary both for people and animals. You all have good habits, acquired in the past. All people have the chance to become elevated if at a point they are ready to show their good habits.

 

Now you will tell the difference: there is no fear in the Sensible heart; when the mind is involved, fear occurs. There is no envy in the Sensible heart and in the good habits; there is envy in the mind. All negative features come as a result of the involvement of the mind. However, when we are guided by our good habits, everything is in harmony, everything is sensible. So you should know that you are either under the influence of your mind, or under the influence of your Sensible, noble heart. I am not discussing those feelings I generally refer to as a mess – they belong to a thoroughly different area. The Sensible heart stands for all these inner personal features that are acquired in the past. Not all personal attributes are good. Only the sensible habits can be an asset to the individual. So I say again: I want from you to see for the next few months how your manners and behaviour have changed for the better. Didn’t I tell you that the realms of God are for small children? I want you, young people, to become people of good habits. I want to see you as children of the realms of God. You will live in this world and be children of the realms of God; you will live sensibly, acting in accordance with your Sensible heart and work guided by your good habits in every respect. You will be brave and determined – never hesitate in whatever job you start. Do not get me wrong – you will encounter difficulties, but sooner or later these difficulties will disappear and you will see the way open to you.

 

Now I am giving you the basis on which you can put up your first pillar. This pillar is in you – do not think about it, as it is certain to exist. If the pillar is firm enough, you have the basis to begin everything. Trust your Sensible heart fully. Do not fear; do not hesitate! If you start hesitating, it will mean that your mind is involved. You have to understand your Sensible heart and act accordingly. Whatever you do, you should trust your Sensible heart. Your matters will be settled and you will be pleased. The smallest matter arranged under the guidance of your Sensible heart will give excellent results. There are no exceptions to this. The Sensible heart has the knowledge to do not only particular things but matters from all spheres as well. That’s why the Sensible heart will be the basis of your Life, and from this basis your mind will develop in a new direction. Thus will be your acquisition, or your wealth.

 

 

 

A secret prayer

 

The God of love is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.

 

 

 

 

 [A1]Unclear. [let yourselves what? and you let yourselves feel] 

 

{to} cannot be used here.

 [A2][inheriting]

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